Syrian activists: 100 dead in alleged gas attack

BEIRUT -- Syrian opposition groups say at least 100 people have been killed during a fierce government offensive near Damascus, attacks in which some activists say regime troops used "poisonous gas."

The government denied reports its troops used chemical weapons today, dismissing the claims as baseless.

Rami Abdul-Rahman from the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says he has documented at least 100 deaths from today's attack.

He says it's not clear whether the victims died from shelling or toxic gas attacks.

Other activists groups, including the Local Coordination Committees, claim hundreds died in Wednesday's "chemical weapons" attack in the eastern suburbs of Damascus, basing it on symptoms suffered by the victims.

Such different figures from activists are common in the aftermaths of attacks in Syria, where the government restricts reporting.